Browse our heating and cooling services.
Short answer
Air-quality equipment should follow an identified problem. Better-sealed buildings hold moisture and pollutants a leakier building would shed, so the answer is frequently ventilation rather than filtration: different machines solving different problems. A recommendation made before anyone established which is a product pitch, not a diagnosis.
This matters increasingly in local housing that has been air-sealed and insulated, where the improvement that lowered the heating bill also removed the accidental ventilation the building used to rely on. Ask what the identified problem is, what evidence points to it, and whether the proposal is adding filtration to air that is already stale or adding outdoor air the building genuinely needs. When the complaint is limited to one room, a portable HEPA unit sized to that room is often a cheaper first step than a whole-house system.
Jobs this covers
- Whole-home filtration
- Air cleaner installation
- Ventilation assessment
- Humidity control
- Duct and airflow review
- ERV and HRV systems
Air quality problems worth a closer look
- Dust returns quickly
- Air feels stale
- Windows condense in winter
- Basement humidity is high
- Odors travel through ducts
- Filters restrict airflow or do not fit well
What service may include
Source control beats filtration. Real scope only shows up on the visit. An evaluation may review filters, airflow, ventilation, humidity, equipment cleanliness, duct condition and pollutant sources before recommending filtration or ventilation equipment.
What affects the recommendation and price
Denser filters can restrict airflow. Occupants, pets, moisture, building tightness, HVAC airflow, filter pressure drop, outdoor air and the specific contaminant or comfort concern determine the approach.
What is different around Burlington
Radon is a real indoor-air question here: the Vermont Department of Health recommends testing every home, and some Chittenden County towns test high. Wood and pellet stoves, common in the area, add fine particles that a furnace filter alone does not solve.
What a written quote should tell you
- What was measured or observed that the equipment is meant to address
- Whether the problem is filtration, ventilation or humidity, distinguished clearly
- Whether the existing system can handle a higher-rated filter without losing airflow
- Filter or media replacement cost and interval
- Whether a source could be removed instead of filtered, which is usually cheaper and better
| Complaint | Usually needs |
|---|---|
| Dust, pet dander, particulates | Filtration |
| Stale air, humidity, combustion by-products in a tightly sealed building | Ventilation: filtration alone won't touch it |
Safety comes first
For suspected mold, combustion gases, asbestos or other hazardous contaminants, use the appropriate qualified environmental or safety professional; HVAC equipment alone is not a universal remedy.
Common questions
Will a higher-MERV filter improve air quality?
It can capture smaller particles, but the system must handle its airflow resistance and the filter must fit without bypass.
Do I need an air purifier or better ventilation?
It depends on the pollutant and building. Filtration, source control, moisture management and outdoor air solve different problems.
Can dirty ducts cause dust?
Duct leakage, filters, household sources and pressure can all contribute. Cleaning is not always the first or only solution.
What indoor humidity is best?
The safe, comfortable target changes with outdoor temperature, building construction and condensation risk.
What does MERV mean, and can I just use the highest one?
MERV is the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, a scale rating how effectively a filter captures particles of various sizes: higher numbers capture smaller particles. You cannot simply fit the highest available, because a denser filter creates more resistance, and a residential system with marginal duct sizing can lose enough airflow to trip limits, freeze coils or shorten equipment life. MERV 11 to 13 is the usual sweet spot for a residential system, and if you want higher filtration than the ductwork supports, the answer is a deeper media cabinet with more surface area rather than a denser one-inch filter.
How do I know what my actual air quality problem is?
Match the symptom to the cause instead of buying a general-purpose purifier. Condensation and musty smells point to humidity and ventilation. Symptoms that improve when you leave the house point to something in the house, and if a fuel-burning appliance is involved, carbon monoxide is the first thing to rule out. Dust that returns immediately after cleaning often points to duct leakage, not to filtration. And radon has no symptom at all, which is why it is tested rather than sensed. An inexpensive carbon dioxide monitor is a surprisingly good proxy for whether a house is under-ventilated.
What can I do myself to improve indoor air quality?
Quite a lot, and the cheap measures outperform most of the equipment. Use a better filter that your system can actually handle: a MERV 11 to 13 pleated filter in a system with adequate airflow, changed on schedule. Run bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans and let them run for a while after use. Control moisture, since dampness drives mould and dust mites. Test for radon, which Vermont has in meaningful amounts and which no filter addresses. And remove sources instead of filtering them: unvented combustion, stored solvents and heavy fragrance products are all easier to stop than to clean up.
What happens in a tight house with no ventilation?
Moisture, carbon dioxide and contaminants accumulate, because the leakage that used to dilute them has been sealed up. This is a genuinely modern Vermont problem: houses have been air-sealed and insulated for good reasons, and a house tightened without adding mechanical ventilation trades an energy problem for an air quality one. The visible symptom is usually winter condensation on windows and mould at cold surfaces. The invisible ones are elevated carbon dioxide, radon concentration and lingering combustion or off-gassing products.
How often should filters be changed and radon be tested?
Filters every one to three months for a one-inch pleated filter and every six to twelve for a deep media filter, shortened by pets, smoking, a woodstove or renovation dust. Radon should be tested at least once, in the lowest lived-in level, and retested after any major renovation, after a foundation change, or after installing a mitigation system to verify it worked. Short-term test kits are inexpensive and the Vermont Department of Health has historically supported testing: check what they currently offer before buying a kit elsewhere.
Is a landlord responsible for mould in a rental?
Vermont does not have a specific mould statute setting numeric standards, but a landlord's obligation to maintain a fit and habitable dwelling covers the conditions that cause mould: roof and plumbing leaks, failed ventilation, and water intrusion. So the productive approach is to report the water source and the ventilation failure in writing, with photographs and dates, instead of to argue about the mould itself. If it is not addressed, the town health officer has authority over rental housing conditions and is the appropriate next step.
What does an air quality equipment warranty actually cover?
Equipment like whole-house air cleaners and UV systems carries standard manufacturer warranties, typically 1 to 5 years, but none of it is warrantied to solve a problem it was not designed for. An air cleaner warranty says nothing about whether it was the right equipment for a radon or moisture problem.
What is the most common mistake buying indoor air quality equipment?
Buying an air purifier before testing for what is actually wrong. Radon, the health concern Vermont homes most often have reason to worry about, is invisible to any filter, and money spent on the wrong equipment is money not spent on the test that would have found the real problem.